Gang-plow.



l. A. WEAVER.

GANG PLOW.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE15| 9H.

1,301,627. Patent-ed Apr. 22, 1919.

5 SHEETS-SHEET I.

I. A. WEAVER.

.GANG PLOW.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 15. 19M.

1 ,301 ,627. Patented Apr. 22, 1919.

5 SHEET$SHEET 2- l. A. WEAVER.

GANG PLOW.

APPLICATION min JUNE lb m4 Patented Apr. 22, 1919.

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I. A. WEAVER GANG PLOW.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 15. 1914.

1,301,627. Patented Apr. 22,1919.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

w)5@6:5e45r/ 7 [7201372221 I. A. WEAVER GANG PLOW.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE I5. IQH.

1,301,627. Patent-ed Apr. 22,1919.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

IRA e. weaves, or sramgrmpn, ILLINQIS, assronon, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, T0 monrqonnnv w en a so, noc roaa'mn, or on ceoo, ILLINOIS, A conroaa'non Gem-sew Specification of Letters latent.

Patented Apr. 22, 1919.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, IRA A. WEAVER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Springfield, in the county of Sangamon and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gang-Flows, of which the following is a specification.

My invention pertains to plows in genera], but relates more particularly to gang plows of the serial raising and lowering type.

One object of the invention is the production of an automatic lifting device "for the plows, which will raise and lower them in sequence by power derived from one of the ground wheels, and which will becapabie of permitting the plows to be raised manually, if reql iired. Another of the invention is the provision of means permitting angular adjustment of the carrying wheel from which the power is derived for raising the plows, without interfering with the ac tion of the lifting mechanism. A still further salient feature of the invention is the provision of improved wheel-controlling mechanism in association with the draft bar.

Many other features of novelty and improvement will be apparent to those skilled in this art from the consideration of a preferred embodiment of the invention which is set forth in the accompanying drawings forming a. art of this; specification, and described in detail below.

In these dmwings,-

Figure 1 is a. perspective view of a plow mechanism incorporating the features of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the plow shown in Fig. 15

Fig. 3 1s a vertical section on line 3--3 of Fig. 2, the parts being viewed in'the directionv indicated by the mews;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary perspective View of a part of the plow, showing; the some on an enlarged scale; 1

Fig. 5 is a vertlcwl section on line 5- -5 of Fig. 6, through the aisle of the carrying wheel from which power is derived for operating the lifting mechanism; and

Fig. .6 is a horizontal section just beneath the horizontal gear which such earrymg Wheel rotates.

Referring to the drawings, it will be observed that the machine frame of choral triangular form, consists of a. rent air 10 and a rear bar 11 connected together diagonally of the direction of travel of the appliance by a pair of spaced angle bars 12 and 13, to the horizontal flanges of which are fastened, in any a proved manner, the series of plow beams 4, 14, each carrying on its protruding rear end a revoluble diskplow 15 and associated scraper 16. As is illustrated, the front and rear bars 10 and 11 extend beyond the companion angle-bars 12 and 13, and each, at the terminal of such protruding end, has fastened thereto a bracket 17' provided with a vertical bearing 18. The angle bar 13 has secured thereto a series of upwardly-extended brackets or supports 19 carryin at their upper ends a bar 20 disposed para lel to the angle bars 12 and 18, and acting not only to stiffen the frame, but also as a guard above the disks 15. The left-hand end of the bar 20, as the arts are viewed in Fig. 2, is bent rearwar 1y at 21 into re ister with the adjacent bracket 17 to whim it is attached at 22.

Dhe vertical bearing 18 of this bracket receives the upright cylindrical portion 23 of the axle carrying the rear furrow-wheel 24. This axle 28 carries at its top end a bracket 25 with a bearing slidingly and revolubly receivin a screw 26 equipped with a turnin handle 2 and internally engaging a thread ed sleeve or rod 28 pivoted at 29 to one arm of a bell-crank 30 fulcrumed at 31 on the support or bracket 17 the other arm of the bellscrank havin pivotal connection with a forwardlyex-ten ed rod 32, described hereinafter.

The axle of the wheel 24 has fixed thereto a bent bar 33 (see Fig. 2) adjustably piveted to a link 34, the other end of which is pivoted at 35 to a rock-arm 36 oscillatin 1y mounted on the angle bar 13 at 37. Tliis rocker arm 36 has also connected thereto a rod 38 disposed beneath the plow beams and pivotally connected at its forward end to an arm 39 forming an extension of the drawbar 40, which may be adjustably connected to the main frame in any one of a plurality of holes 41 in a plate 42 connected, as is illustrated in Fig. 2, to the ends of the two angle bars 12 and 13. Draw-bar 40, by means of a connecting strap 43, is pivotally connected at 44 to an arm 45 of the axle of the front furrow-wheel 46.

As in the case of the rear furrow-wheel 24, the axle of this front wheel 46 has a vertical cylindrical portion 47 IOll-tttitbl) received in the bearing 18 of the adjacent bracket 17, and at its upper end this axle has a cap 48 equip ed with a bearing slidingly and revolub y receiving a screw 49 having a turning handle 50, the screw being received within a threaded aperture of the connecting bar 51 pivoted at its lower end at 52 to one arm of a bell-crank 53 fulcrumed at 54 on the bracket 17, the other arm of the bell-crank being pivotally connected to the end of a rod 55.

The other angle of the triangular frame is supplied with a pair of upper and lower spaced bars 56 and 57, connecting together the two bars 10 and 11, the adjacent ends of which are spaced apart as is clearly shown in Figs. 5 and 6, the fastening means for the parts being conveniently the bolts 58. The land wheel 59 is revolubly mounted on an axle 60, the inner portion of which is flattened, and extends between the two bars 56 and 57, to which it is fulcrumed 011 a pin 61 extended through apertures in the bars and flattened part of the axle. The inner end of the axle is bifurcated at 62 and straddles a curved bar 63 fastened at its ends at 64 and 65 to the frame bars 10 and 11. Bar 63 has a plurality of apertures 66 permittin the axle, by means of apertures 67 in its ifurcated end and a in 68 to be locked in any one of a number 0 angular positions; it being understood that during such angular adjustment, the axle and the wheel 59 turn about the fulcrum pin 61. In this way any desired lead of the land wheel may be easily obtained.

The hub of the wheel 59 carries a ratchet wheel 69, and loosely mounted on the axle is a bevel pinion 70 having an arm 71, to which a pawl 72 is pivoted at 73, the pawl carrying a roller 74 adapted to cooperate with the teeth of the ratchet wheel so that the rotation of the ound wheel may be transmitted through t e ratchet and pawl to the pinion. The pawl is also supplied with a cotiperatin spring 72.

The axle a so has fixed thereto an arm 75 having a bearing 76 for the hinge pin 77 of an operating lever 78 carryin a roller 79 adapted to coact with the tail of the pawl 72, the lever being normally pulled into the position illustrated in Fig 5 by a coiled contractile spring 80, whose outer end is fastened at 81 to a bar 82 secured to the axle, the other end of the spring being connected to a bent bar 83 fastened tothe lever 78, so that the spring exerts a direct pull upon the lever.

The axle between the plates 56 and 63 is provided with a vertical bearing accommodating an upright shaft 84, on the top of which is mounted a horizontal bevel gear 85, the teeth of which are in mesh with those of the bevel pinion 70. As is illustrated in the various figures, gear 85 has upstanding therefrom a boss 86 equipped with a pin 87, on which the forward ends of the two lifting rods 32 and 55 are rotatably mounted. The under face of the gear 85 is supplied with two downwardly-extended pins 88 and 89, which of course revolve with the gear, and they are adapted to cooperate with the bent arm 90 (see Fig. 6) fulcrumed at 91 on the inward extension of the axle, and pivoted at 92 to one end of a link 93, the opposite end of which is pivoted to a boss or lug 94 on the inner face of the lever 78.

Operation: The manner in which this appliance performs its work is substantially as follows:

Assuming that the depth of out of the plurality of disk plows has been determined by the adjustment of the screws 26 and 49, by their respective handles 27 and 50, and that the plow is traveling forwardly in the usual manner, performing its customary plowing function, it will be obvious that, as the draw-bar 40 is shifted to one side or the other, the furrow wheels 46 and 24 will be properly turned on their vertical pivots to assist in the guiding and steering of the ap paratus. When the plow reaches the end of the field, and it is desired to lift the plurality of disks sequentially, so as to end all furrows on a straight line transversely to the direction of travel of the machine, the operator pulls the handle 78 forwardl in opposition to the retracting influence o the coiled contractile spring 80. Of course the land wheel 59 is consequently rotating, as well as the ratchet 69 carried on its hub, and as soon as the roller 79 on the arm 78 releases the pawl 72 by being withdrawn out of cotiperative relation with its tail, the pawl, under the influence of its spring, 72 carries its roller 74 into one of the notches of the ratchet 69, therebcompelling the rotation of the arm 71 wit the ratchet wheel, which rotation, of course, is transmitted to the pinion 70 and horizontal bevel ear 85. Gear 85 has four times as many teet as the pinion 70, and during the sequential raisin of the disk plows, the gear 85 makes a hal revolution. "That is to say, the pinion 70, the arm 71, ratchet 69, and wheel 59, make two complete revolutions in rotating the gear 85 a half revolution. It is necessary therefore to prevent the arm 78 and its roller 79 from en aging the tail of the pawl 72 and unclutcfiing the latter from the ratchet 69 at the end of the first revolution of the ratchet. This is brought about by the pin 89 on the gear 85, which is so positioned on the gear that when the arm 71 and the pawl 72 have about completed the first revolution, it will have engaged the arm 90 and swung it and the arm 78 outwardly so that the roller 79 cannot co6perate with the pawl. On the completion of the second revolution,

however, pin 89 will have moved away from arm 90, so that the arm '18, which, of course, has been previously released by the operator, has responded to the act-ionof spring 80 and brought the roller "iii in such position that, by engagement with the tail of the pawl, it has retracted the roller 74 from the ratchet, and broken the driving connection between the carrying wheel 59 and gear 8%,

In order to secure the lifting of the plows one after the so as to end; the furrows evenly, obviously, tlne'forward. plow must he raised first and the others in sequence after ward. Since these plows are all mounted on the same r-i d frame, it is necessary lift the forwar end of the frame first, and the rear end afterward. after a proper time interval, or, rather, an iniemral do eat upon the travel of the It will he noticed that when the plows are in operative position, as shown in Fig. 2;, the angular relation of the liiting 55 and 32 with respect to the gear fiiand its axis is quite dilierent; or, difierently, the rod 55 is beyond its dead center, and th 32 has not yet reached its center. The result is that, as soon as the gear-85 begins to turn in a clockwise direction as the ipal-ts are viewed in Fig. 2 the 56 immed an begins in swin its bell-cnank 53, and the corresponding bracket 17, forming a. rigid portion of the forward end of the plow-supporting frame, begins at once to slide 11-pwardly on the vertical axle or shaft 4?, beginning the initial lifting movement of the plows in proper order. The first part of this travel of the connection 87 causesno substantia movement of the bell-crank 3d, or the rear end of the plow-frame; but as the pin 87 continues its rotation, it completes the lifting of the front end of the plow-frame, which remains substantially in that position because the remainder of the travel of the pin is on rr m e r the deadc nter of h rod On the other hand, however, when the pin 87 is approaching and passing through its (load-center position with respect to the rod 55, it is in its most eflieient position for shifting the rod 32 and raising the rear end of the plow-frame, whereby during the travel of the pin 87 through a; half revolution the front end of the plow-frame is gradually raised and maintained l;ifted,,a.nd then the rear end of the frame is raised and maintained in such position, brin n about the roper and desirable sequent-id lifting of the plows due to their diagonal disposition across the low-frame.

Obvious y, this elevation of the plows is brought about by a. mechanism. extremely simple in structure and entirely automatic in its operation after the control lever has once been manipulated to throw the parts into clutched relation, the power for the lifting of the plows being secured directly from one of the carrying wheels, in this instance the land wheel. It is furthermore to be observed that this lifting of the plows in sequence, although brought about by the rotation of a single pin, is secured by reason of the relation of the lifting rods to such pin, so that the speeds of travel of the rods will be so different as to occasion a prompt lifting of the front end of the plow-frame and a delayed elevation of the rear end, which of course causesthe desired serial lift.

when it is desired to begin plowing and to have the ends of all of the furrows even omsswise of the direction of travel of the machine, the operator :1 ain manipulates the handle 78, either. direct y or by means of a pulling cord, and then the gear 85 will make its other half revolution and stop; the carrying wheel 59, ratchet 69, pinion 7.0, and associated parts, makingtwo complete revolutions, as in the previous instance, and automatically stopping. When the gear 85 starts, the pin 8? has passed the dead center as far as the rod 55 is concerned, but has not yet the dead center as far as the 32 is concerned, so that the rod 55 will at once lower the front end of the plowframe, and, after once being lowered, will maintain it substantially in that position, because during the remainder of the travel of the pin- 87 it is approaching and passing by dead center. On the other hand, when this pin 8? begins its rotation, there is substantially no movement of the rear end of the plow-frame becausethe pin is approaching and passing dead center with respect to the rod 32, and then travels in a path favorable for a, substantial movement of the rod 32, which it occasions, resulting in the delayed descent of the rear portion of the plowframe. In this way the plows are lowered nentially, the operation being substantia y the reverse of that which takes place during the liitin-g. During the plowloworing operation the pin 88 on the gear pre vents the parts unclutching at the end of the first revolution of wheel 59.

It should be observed that the angular position of the land wheel 59 may be varied within wide limits Without interfering with or modifying the action of the automatic plow-lifting mechanism, this being rendered possible by reason of the fact that the various parts of this mechanism are all carried on or supported by and movable with the ax-i-e as it is shifted to different positions of adjustment.

Attention is also summoned to the fact that the independent hand-lifting mechanism for the plows and their frame is directly connected to, and in a certain sense forms a part of, the automatic lifting mechanism shown and described. This manual lifting appliance may be employed for adjusting the depth of cut, and may also be used if for any reason the automatic lifting mechanism is put out of commission by accident.

A further feature of this appliance to be noted is that the clutch controlling mechanism, inserted between the carrying wheel and the lifting mechanism which it operates, permits more than one revolution of the drive wheel to effect the lifting of the plows, which of course permits a more effective and advantageous use of the power employed.

It should be observed, that, since the screws 26 and 49 support the frame from the upper ends of the vertical axle portions 23 and 47 and have sliding association with their bearings in the caps 25 and 48, the plow-frame and plows are free to rise without lifting or interfering with the action of the carryingwheels, which construction permits the plows and frame to ascend in riding over an obstruction without swingin or swerving the wheels from their course as would be likely to occur if the wheels were lifted by the plows traveling over the obstacle. A structure of this character remains substantially true to its course even though the action of the plows is interfered with by obstructions over which they pass.

I claim:

1. In a construction of the character de scribed, the combination of a plow-support, a plurality of plows carried thereby, a pair of lifting means connected to said support at different points, a powcr-driven rotary memher, and a pair of connections between said pair of lifting means and said rotary member at one side of the axis thereof and disposed at an angle to each other and at different angles to said rotary member in substantially the plane of rotation thereof, whereby when one connection operates relatively rapidly on its lifting means the other operates relatively slowly on its lifting means, and vice versa, substantially as described.

2. In a plow, the combination of a frame, carrying wheels and their axles therefor, a plow-lifting mechanism adapted to be operated by one of said wheels, and means permittin angular adjustment of the axle of said wlieel to change the lead independently of and without interfering with the action of said lifting mechanism, substantially as described.

3. In a plow, the combination of a frame, carrying wheels and their axles therefor, one of said axles being bodily adjustable angularly to change the lead, a plow-lifting mechanism ada Jted to be operated by the wheel of said adjustable axle, and a clutch mechanism and clutch -controlling mechanism mounted on said axle and adapted to clutch the carrying wheel of said axle to the plowlifting mechanism and unclutch it therefrom, substantially as described.

4. In a plow, the combination of a frai'ne, carrying wheels and their axles therefor, one of said axles being bodily adjustable angu larly to change the lead, a plow-lifting mechanism adapted to be operated by the wheel of said adjustable axle, a clutch mechanism, clutch controlling mechanism and cotiperating gears mounted on said axle, and means connecting one of said gears to the plow-' lifting mechanism, substantially as described.

5. In a plow, the combination of a frame, carrying wheels and their axles therefor, one of said axles being bodily adjustable angularly in a substantially horizontal plane to change the lead, a plow-lifting mechanism adapted to be operated by the wheel of said adjustable axle independently of such adjustment, a clutch inechanisn'i mounted on said adjustable axle, a clutch-controlling mechanism mounted on said adjustable axle, a pinion on said axle, a horizontal gear revolubly mounted on said axle and in mesh with the pinion, and means connecting said horizontal gear to the plow-lifting mechanism, substantially as described.

6. In a plow, the combination of a frame, a pair of carrying wheels mounted on axles with vertical portions, a third carrying wheel mounted on a horizontal axle bodily angularly adjustable on said frame to change the lead, said frame being vertically adjustable on said vertical axle portions, a plow-lifting mechanism connected to the frame near one of said vertical portions, a second plow-lifting mechanism connected to the frame near the other vertical axle portion, a horizontal gear revolubly carried by the angularly adjustable horizontal axle, means connecting said horizontal gear with the carrying Wheel of the adjustable axle whereby the rotation of the carrying wheel may be transmitted to the gear independently of the adjustment of said axle, and connecting rods connecting said gear with said pair of lifting mechanisms, substantially as described.

7. In a construction of the character described, the combination of carrying wheels, a frame, a plurality of plows arranged in a series diagonally of their direction of travel, and a lifting and lowering mechanism for said plows including rigid link connections and operated by power derived from one of the carryin wheels and adapted to raise and lower the p ows in sequence, said mechanism performing its lifting function during a plurality of revolutions of said carrying wheel and performing its lowering function during a plurality of revolutions of said carrying wheel, substantially as described.

8. In a construction of the character described, the combination of carrying wheels, a frame, a plurality of plows arranged in a series diagonally of the direction of their travel, a lifting and lowering mechanism for said plows including rigid link connections and operated by power derived from one of the carrying wheels and adapted to raise and lower the plows in sequence, and performing its plow lifting and lowering functions each during a plurality of revolutions of said power-transmitting carrying wheel, a clutch between said carrying wheel and lifting mechanism, and means to render said clutch inoperative only after the carrying wheel has turned its plurality of revolutions, substantially as described.

9. In a construction of the character described, the combination of carrying wheels, a plow-support, a plurality of plows mounted on said support and arranged in a series diagonally of the direction of their travel, and a plow-lifting mechanism including rigid link connections and adapted to raise the plows in sequence and operated by power derived from one of the carrying wheels, said lifting mechanism including a rotary member connected to lifting devices at opposite ends of the plow-support, said rotary member making a half revolution to perform the plow-lifting function while the power-transmitting carrying wheel makes a plurality of revolutions, substantially as described.

10. In a plow-construction of the character described, the combination of three carrying-wheels, a pair of axles for two of said wheels having vertical portions, a frame carried by said wheels and vertically slidable on said axle portions, plows mounted on said frame, axle-caps on the tops of said axle portions, manually-operable means supporting said frame from said caps and adapted to adjust the depth of cut and raise the plows by lifting the frame, means to lift the plows and frame operated by the third wheel and including said manually-operable means, the latter being freely slidable through said axle-caps whereby the plows and frame may rise as the plows ride over an obstruction without lifting the pair of carrying wheels, substantially as described.

11. In a plow-construction of the character described, the combination of carryingwheels, a frame mounted on said wheels, a plurality of plows carried by said frame, means operated by one of the carrying wheels to raise and lower said plows in sequence, an axle for said wheel horizontally angularly adjustable on said frame to vary the lead of the wheel independently of the raising and lowering mechanism, and a clutch on said axle adapted to connect said wheel to and disconnect it from said raising and lowering mechanism, said wheel making a plurality of revolutions during each plow raising and lowering operation, substantially as described.

12. In a plow-construction of the character described, the combination of carryingwheels, a frame mounted on said Wheels, a plurality of plows carried by said frame and arranged in aseries diagonally of the direction of travel of the machine, means to raise and lower said plows operated by one of the carrying-wheels, an axle for said wheel horizontally angularly adjustable on said frame independently of the raising and lowering mechanism, a clutch on said axle adapted to connect said wheel to and disconnect it from said raising and lowering mechanism, and means mounted on said axle controlling the operation of said clutch, said wheel making a plurality of revolutions during each plow raising and lowering operation, substantially as described.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto signed my name, this 8th day of June, 1914.

IRA A. WEAVER.

Witnesses:

MARTHA L. DAIGH, S. G. GARD.

Copies of this patent may be obtained tor five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. G. 

